supposed to make a close pass with the earth. >> reporter: yes, what's spectacular about what happened in russia, you didn't need a telescope, just a pair of eyeballs and the ability to look up. it was hard to miss this fireball streaking across the early morning sky over the ural mountains in russia. this is east of moscow. various video cam remarks some cell, some mounted dash cams captured this brilliant streak of bright light as it left a long plume of smoke in its wake. scientists estimate this weighed ten tons and was traveling at a wicked 33,000 miles an hour, so large, so fast, it created a shock wave as it flew overhead that blew out windows, even collapsed part of a factory roof. almost 1,000 people were injured, mostly by flying glass. >> very likely it would have been a larger lump of rock that broke up in the earth's

atmosphere. the rock comes in from space, hits the earth's atmosphere, that decelerates it, puts stress on it and it's likely to fragment into lots of pieces. i think that's what happened. >> scientists believe that russian meteorite exploded into smaller pieces before hitting the ground. there's also an asteroid out there, not going to hit us, just give us a close shave in 20 to 25 minutes. this is an asteroid about 150 feet in diameter will miss earth by only 17,000 miles. cosmiccally speaking, that's very close, closer to us than some of our own satellites. >> its proximity and its size, it will still appear probably as a little dot of light moving against the background of the stars. so even in this big powerful telescope, we're not going to have such a close view of this object that you might see it shape. we might see a change in brightness of this object if

it's rotating as it moves across the sky. >> astronomers here at the chabot space center in oakland where i'm at right now will be keeping an eye on this when it comes into view tonight. they're part of a special network of observatories collecting and data. they'll have a viewing party here inside their large 36-inch reflector telescope room, which you can see right there. this will be between 7:30 and 10:30 tonight. it is free and open to the public. i have such great faith in our astronomers that i can say to you have a great weekend and i'll definitely be here on monday. reporting live here in oakland, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> we'll all be here monday. nasa ames is under investigation accused of sharing technology with china and other country. the fbi has been investigating nasa ames for the past four

years. the congressmen say the u.s. attorney's office in northern california wants to bring criminal charges but has been blocked by the justice department. the u.s. attorney's office denies that claim. we have new video from a courtroom in south africa. in one fatal night olympian oscar pistorius went from local superstar and international hero to standing trial for premeditated murder. during his very first hearing while these charges are being read he breaks down in tears. michelle kosinski witnessed it all in the courtroom. >> reporter: olympian oscar pistorius, accustomed to the cheer of victory, keeps his head down, now shielding his face from cameras to and from court. today the world press gathered him around while he's charged with the murder of his girlfriend shot three times in the head and body in pistorius's upscale well-secured home around 4:00 a.m. thursday. at 30, a cover girl, law school

grad, soon to be reality show contestant was about to give a valentine's day talk about empowering women. instead her heartbroken family talked about her. >> she's with the angels. >> reporter: the world knowns oscar pistorius in all his athletic glory with the nickname blade runner, the fastest man on no legs. now accused and staying in jail. he'll have to stay in jail at least until his pond hearing next week. early on there were these reports and questions raised, could this have been some case of mistaken identity? is it possible that she might have been mistaken for an intruder in the home? but police emphasize they're dismissive of that, that information did not come from them. we do have new details surrounding the revenge field

killing spree of former lapd officer christopher dorner. court documents show that he researched two of his victims, monica kwan and her fiance before he shot the couple earlier this month. kwan is the daughter of a former police captain. the records show that dorner may have had documents about kwan and her family. remains found in a burned cabin near big bear lake have been positively identified as dorner. authorities say dorner got into a fire fight with law enforcement at that cabin. the cabin burned down after deputies shot pyrotechnic tear gas inside. a deadly day in east san jose. a man and woman found shot t to death are both victim of an apparent murder/suicide. the shooting happened around 4:30 in the 1800 block of bermuda way. they believe that the man shot the woman, then shot himself. a third person was in the house at the time of this scene.

police have not yet identified those victim, but say they both were in their 20s. police now say they don't have an exact motive for the shooting. two men are recovering after being shot in a drive-by in east san jose. it happened at the intersection of gramercy place and madden avenue. police say an suv drove through that neighborhood about 10:30 last night and opened fire, hitting two men standing outside a home. the victims were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive. no arrests have been made. as of now, police say there's no motive for the shooting, but they say it could be gang related. >> san francisco police at this hour still investigating a police shooting that ends in a crash where several people get hurt. it started at the intersection of eddy and jones street when a stolen town car was trying to get away from officers. after a short chase the driver of the town car swerved right up

on to the sidewalk to avoid the spike strips laid out by police. then police say one of the officers standing nearby shot at that car. the town car did crash eventually right into a taxi and two other cars located near fifth and mission. that suspect was eventually arrested. four people right now remain hurt after that crash. the east bay -- actually, you want to take this one? >> sure, i'll take that. a prank known as swatting right now under investigation in the peninsula. police responding to reports of shots being fired and a possible hostage situation going on inside that home in san mateo yesterday. unfortunately, the whole thing just turned out to be a bad joke, a prank. so far no arrests have been made. state lawmakers they're currently pushing toward tougher laws against people responsible for these types of swatting pranks. now, to the east bay. counselors are at hillside elementary and san leandro today to help students deal with a homicide on campus. the school was closed after

county sheriff's deputies found a 19-year-old man dying on the campus wednesday night. we talked to one parent at the school who said even though the teen was not a student there, the story has had an impact on her kindergarten-aged daughter. >> she was kind of afraid because she was hearing it yesterday on the news. she was also talking about it. i just, you know, just don't comment on anything to your friends. >> deputies are looking into whether the teen was shot over a game of dice. and so far there are no arrests in that case. new at 11:00, talk about going from bad to bad. we just learned a bus carrying passengers who were stranded on the carnival cruise ship for five straight days now find themselves stuck all over again after their bus breaks down on its way to new orleans. talk about unbelievable luck or lack thereof. the carnival cruise line tells nbc news one of those buses did

break down and a separate bus had to pick them up to finish tout journey. those passengers were who more than happy to get back on dry land. the carnival triumph docked in mobile, alabama, last night after spending five days adrift in the caribbean. an engine fire on board knocked out power, spilled su eed sewag over the ship and stopped the heating and air conditioning systems on board. >> it was the most challenging thing i think i've ever done. it was like literally being in a floating port-a-potty. the crew was great. they did a great job keeping our spirits up, but it was tough. >> we're like a family now. we went through hell. >> yeah, a floating port-a-potty would be that and more. carnival says passengers will get a full refund and discounts on future cruises plus an additional $500 in compensation. >> congress goes home with a whole lot of unfinished

business. congress goes on recess today without voting on a budget plan. to avoid $85 billion in automatic cuts. when they return, they'll have just four days to take a vote. >> no one should like it. but the sequester is there because the president insisted that it be there. where's the president's plan to replace the sequester that he insisted upon? >> it's just wrong. why are we leaving when we should be staying here to work this out? congress is also leaving two of the president's cabinet positions unfilled. the senate intelligence committee has yet to approve john brennan as cia director and yesterday republicans blocked the vote to confirm chuck hagel as secretary of defense. democrats could try to get him confirmed today with a simple majority. >> unfortunately very few things on capitol hill are simple. questions surrounding the crew of a tall ship that sank during hurricane sandy.

let you know what crew members are now saying about the captain. plus a gift for a bay area high school where a multimillion dollar contribution is coming from. we're just a week away from the start of spring ball down at cactus league baseball for those world champion giants. today we'll get a sneak peek at all the swag for you hard core fans. another high tech ipo. it's got confetti and everything. and our early spring break is short lived. from mid-70s today to low 50s next week.

well, two crew members aboard a tall ship that sank during superstorm sandy will now be testifying before a federal safety panel today. one crew member aboard the hms bounty died and the captain was never found. testimony by others have shown

the ship's captain decided to sail directly into that storm knowing the bounty actually had a rotted frame. it was built back in 1962 for a film. san francisco tech company right now with roots at paypal ipo'd this morning and scott mcgrew apparently has the day's business headlines. >> good morning. san francisco-based zoom is celebrating on nasdaq. they started selling shares to the public for the first time. xoom handles international money transfers. this is not a new industry, it's not even new to the internet, but it does have paypal lineage as you mentioned. it jumped 42% this morning from its opening price. looking ahead to next week tesla reports its profits on wednesday. as you know tesla has been the center of controversy lately after a poor "new york times" review of it charging centers and its car. it's all a review that tesla

disputes, but we'll be watching tesla very carefully starting monday morning. palo alto high school could soon be getting a major upgrade thanks to an anonymous donation. a donor has offered to foot the bill to replace the outdated indoor athletic facilities at the high school which could cost upwards of $20 million. the donor is a parent of a student within the district. the new facilities would include two gymnasiums, wrestling room, dance studio, weight room and classrooms. if the school board approves the plans, next month construction could start as soon as may of next year. >> what a beautiful and squlen russ donation there. today the giants world series trophies continue that tour in this south bay. if you would like to get a glimpse of those or have your picture taken with them, you have two opportunities to do it. first, in gilroy, the mexican american service agencieses will be showing off the beauties from

2:00 to 4:00 this afternoon, then st. catherine's church from 6:00 to 8:00 this evening. giants fans are heading even further south this spring to watch their team in the contact us league. with the new season comes new play. >> hey, very good morning to you. we are coming to you from the giants team store at scottsdale stadium. you know ever since that world series victory with the tigers in detroit, giants gear has been flying off the shelf at the store at at&t park. when it comes to apparel and other items for a wide array of tastes and styles, the giants have worked to tap into what the fans are looking for when supporting the team with what they wear. spring training gear is no exception. >> every year we carry a different style player tee. this year we're featuring buster posey with the backdrop of the

state of arizona, map of arizona. so that's very nice. every year the authentic collection t-shirts change, what the players wear on field. this year it's a different style. you see it behind me. >> reporter: and the world series trophy emblazoned on items, ups the appeal. >> different than what you would carry during the regular season. we have crazy fans, dedicated fan, they buy all year, every year. the world championship just gives them another reason to buy another t-shirt or license plate frame or a t-shirt for the entire family, wives, kids, those visiting, bragging rights. >> giants fans will be getting in gear. they're set to open their cactus league schedule on saturday, february 23rd against the angels. that's the scene from arizona. back to you in the studio. >> we cannot wait. thanks so much. >> the weather outside, another

beautiful day in the neighborhood. the weekend forecast looks like three words, phe-nom-inal. >> good, good, good. things are going to change. i'm so happy to bring you the forecast. not only is it friday, we've got a great looking weekend shaping up. you can get out there and enjoy it. this good weather is about to hold up on your days off. temperatures right now, look at these number, almost unbelievable in the bay area. 63 degrees right now. you're at 65 in gilroy. gilroy going to get close to 80. 60 in livermore. 65 in sunnyvale closely. here is our weathermaker. this is our heater, natural heater. it will actually amplify a little bit more. hazy sunshine. that's the only caveat. we're not seeing the unhealthy levels of pollution. so that's the good news. if you can open up the good news and breathe it in or head to the beach. it will be absolutely perfect on

the warm sands of santa cruz today. also monterey, it will be another beautiful day down there. a little coastal fog. but before that fog arrives, look at where our temperatures are headed. just three degrees away from 80 in gilroy. 73 degrees in los gatos. getting into your weekend holding strong with the 70 for saturday. then on sunday, we'll cool you off a touch, but still unseasonably warm, monday, tuesday, wednesday, things will start to change. temperatures drop off. we bring in the rain and the cold. so basically a 20-degree drop in just a few days. enjoy it, jon and marl larks back to you. up next, the company with the little blue box sues a big box store. why tiffany's is accusing costco of selling fake jewelry.

well, i hate to possibly rain on your valentine's day parade, but ladies out there, if you happen to get one of those tiffany's engagement rings for valentine's day, you might want to make sure it's the real deal. tiffany & company sues costco for what it calls counterfeit jewelry. it believes hundreds if not thousands of costco members bought engagement rings they thought were authentic tiffany products. they were not. tiffany wants costco to forfeit profits from the rings as well as fork over $2 million for trademark infringement. >> ouch. that hurts. >> ouch is right. >> and there's only one little blue box. >> a special one.

welcome back. now our weather here in the bay area the envy of the entire nation. crystal clear conditions over san francisco and highs that are downright perfect. 73 degrees inland today. 72 bayside. and 70 degrees at the coast. today marks peak warmth. as we head through saturday, temperatures drop off just a touch. and then the rain moves in monday, tuesday and wednesday. slight chance of showers all across the bay area. don't worry about it, though. if you don't have presidents' day off, neither do we. we'll see you back here monday. >> see you back here prit and early. at san diego sea world they're celebrating a special delivery. >> awesome video. yesterday, 37-year-old killer whale gave birth to a calf. the newborn is almost seven feet long and weighs about 350 pounds. the zoo keepers still do not know the gender of the calf.

the whale has given birth to three other calves at sea world. >> we have awesome video, the meteorite and that killer whale giving birth. >> the cheering the crowd did as the baby came into the world. >> blue or pink, we don't know yet.

lemon. which of these pictures do you like better? um, the one on the left? so the wacky one. sure. what's the picture for? i'm giving the keynote address at the company's six sigma retreat to move forward in croton-on-hudson. ugh. is that like a corporate retreat? i used to have to perform at those all the time back when jenna and i were in that improv troupe. the audience suggestion is sling blade and oprah on a date.

[scattered applause] [deep, gravelly voice] i sure do like them french fried pataters. [as herself] no, you don't, oprah. jenna is not a great improviser. to be honest, lemon, uh, i'm a little apprehensive about going to this thing. i haven't seen a lot of these people since the ceo debacle and my...time in the... bush administration. yeah, jack, you never really told me what happened in washington. please be gentle. the point is a lot has happened to me since the retreat last year. so i hope that when i return, they still think of me as the same guy. you've got camp jitters. what? you haven't seen your little business camp friends in a year, and now you're afraid everybody's gonna think you got weird. uh, lemon, the retreat to move forward is a global meeting of ge's best and brightest. careers are made there. it would be helpful to have someone with me who's got my back. ugh, no. don't make me be your camp friend. i hate those corporate things. bunch of drunk people talking about synergy. first of all, never badmouth synergy.